Police Say Pasqualoni Told Of Sex Assault Claim

Former Coach Says He Knew Nothing Of Allegation

November 06, 2013|By DAVID OWENS, dowens@courant.com, The Hartford Courant

STORRS — University of Connecticut police are disputing comments Wednesday by former University of Connecticut football coach Paul Pasqualoni, who told the Associated Press that he was never informed that one of his players had been accused of sexually assaulting a woman.

In a lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court in Hartford, Rosemary Richi, a UConn junior, said she was sexually assaulted by a football player in September of 2011. The incident was reported to UConn police in 2013. She said in a lawsuit against UConn that university police did not take her seriously and that a detective told her he did not believe her.

In a written statement, university police Chief Barbara O'Connor said Pasqualoni was informed of the allegation. According to the AP, Pasqualoni said he was never told about the incident.

"The UConn police department notified the division of athletics in the spring of 2013 there was an allegation of misconduct made against an athlete," O'Connor said. "The records of the UConn police department reflect that on June 18, 2013, the UConn police detective investigating the case contacted [Pasqualoni]. The detective advised Mr. Pasqualoni a state's attorney from the judicial district of Tolland had reviewed the investigation and determined there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the case."

An official familiar with the investigation said Wednesday that not only was Pasqualoni told about the case, he was told on multiple occasions about the allegations and the status of the investigation.

Richi is among four women suing UConn in federal court alleging the university violated their rights by not providing them with adequate protection and assistance after they were sexually assaulted.

The civil lawsuit filed Friday asks for an award of compensatory damages to the plaintiffs for their emotional distress, resulting from UConn's "deliberate indifference" and also asks the court to order UConn to revise its policies, procedures and practices "so that it is in compliance with Title IX."

Richi and the three others suing UConn were among seven students who on Oct. 21 filed a Title IX complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights alleging that UConn had neither protected them from sexual assault nor provided them with adequate help after they reported being assaulted.

In the lawsuit, Richi says she was sexually assaulted by the football player, who she does not name, in September 2011, but did not report it to authorities until later. She said she did write about the incident on her blog.

According to the lawsuit, Richi sent a text message to the football player in February 2012 and told him that if she ever heard of him sexually assaulting another woman, she would tell police. He did not respond, the suit says.

In the spring of 2013, Richi spoke about the incident at a campus event and a teacher who heard her speak said she was obligated to report what she heard to UConn's Office of Diversity and Equity. The teacher did not report the incident to police, according to the suit. Richi never heard from the Office of Diversity and Equity, according to the suit.

Several months later, the suit continues, Richi reported the incident to UConn police, who began an investigation, but did not make an arrest.